Vegan Coconut Macaroons are sweet, chewy and moist with a lightly toasted exterior. They are a gluten free cookie and easy to make with only 6 ingredients (+ optional chocolate for dipping).Â
Macaroons are cookies made up of shredded coconut, sugar, sometimes almond flour, and usually egg whites and condensed milk. Not to be confused with a “Macaron” which is a French cookie that is meringue based with some sort of filling.
I tried a few versions of these coconut macaroons before I found the winning recipe! Instead of condensed milk, I use a bit of coconut cream/milk and instead of egg whites aquafaba works it’s magic here.
These cookies are so addictive, I think you are going to love them. They are:
- Naturally Gluten Free
- Oil Free
- Chewy, moist and sweet in the middle
- Slightly toasty on the outside
- Dipped in chocolate (though this part is optional)
How do you make Vegan Coconut Macaroons?
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
TIP: If you don’t like the texture of shredded coconut, you can use a food processor or high powered blender to break up the coconut into smaller flakes. Just don’t process or blend too long, or it will start to release juices and affect the recipe negatively.
Now add 1/2 cup of the coconut cream from the top of a can of coconut, plus 1/4 cup of the watery part in the can. If your cream is not soft at all, microwave it for 10-20 seconds until it softens a bit.
Add the bag of sweetened coconut flakes, 1/2 cup of almond flour, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix together well with a large spoon.
In another bowl, whip the liquid from a can of chickpeas with a hand mixer with 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (optional, but it helps) until stiff peaks form, 3-6 minutes. Measure 4 tablespoons of the stiff aquafaba and fold it into the coconut mixture (stir in gently until combined).
Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, form heaping tablespoons of the mixture into mounds on the prepared baking sheet, spaced an inch apart.
Bake for 23-25 minutes, until the tops and edges are golden. Let cool on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
If you want to dip them in chocolate like I did, melt 8 ounces of dairy free chocolate chips (or chocolate bars) in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until smooth and melted. You may also use the double boiler method, but I use the microwave.
Dip the bottoms of the macaroons in the chocolate, using a fork as they are quite fragile. Place them back on the parchment paper line baking sheet, then place in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes, until set.
How to store vegan coconut macaroons:
These cookies keep well in a covered container at room temperature for 4-5 days, or the refrigerator for at least a week.
Can they be frozen?
They freeze wonderfully. In fact, my favorite way to eat these is straight from the freezer! I simply placed them in a freezer bag, for easy grabbing when I want a sweet treat.
For more vegan & gluten free desserts, check these out:
- Chickpea Blondies
- Vegan Peanut Butter Cups
- Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- No-Bake Layered Raspberry Cheesecake
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Vegan Coconut Macaroons
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup full fat coconut milk (use mostly the creamy white part)
- 14 ounces sweetened coconut flakes
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Optional: 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Aquafaba:
- 4 tablespoons whipped aquafaba
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Optional Chocolate Dip:
- 8 ounces dairy free chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop out the creamy white part from a can of coconut milk, then add liquid from the can as needed to measure 3/4 cup. You want mostly the cream here, but 1/4 cup of the clear liquid is fine and what I used. If it's very hard, microwave for 10-20 seconds to soften.
- Add the coconut milk/cream to a large bowl, along with the sweetened coconut flakes, almond flour, vanilla and almond extracts, and salt. Stir together with a large spoon until well combined.
- For the Aquafaba: This is your egg white substitute. Pour the liquid from a can of chickpeas into a medium sized bowl. Add 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar to the bowl and beat with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form, 3-6 minutes. Measure 4 heaping tablespoons of the stiff aquafaba and add to the coconut mixture. Stir in gently until combined.
- Using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop heaping tablespoons and form into mounds on the prepared baking sheet, placing about 1 inch apart.
- Bake in the middle rack of the oven for 23-25 minutes until the top and edges are golden and toasty. Let cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Optional Chocolate Dip: Heat chocolate chips in a small bowl in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until the chocolate is smooth and melted. Dip the bottom of each macaroon in the chocolate, gently, using a fork as they are quite fragile. Return to the parchment lined pan, and place in the refrigerator to allow the chocolate to set for 10 minutes.
- Store leftover cookies at room temperature in a covered container for up to 4-5 days, the refrigerator for 1 week, or in the freezer for longer. They are delicious straight out of the freezer! Enjoy!
Notes
- Calories listed are with the optional chocolate dip.
- If desired, you can break up the coconut smaller using a food processor or blender. Just don't over blend or it will start to release juices and won't work.
- If you have an almond allergy, you may be able to substitute regular flour, brown rice flour or gluten free flour blend for the almond flour. And omit the almond extract.
I followed the recipe exactly and just like someone else said, they fell apart. Just transfering them to the rack to cool I had more than a few casualties. And then the same happened when I tried to dip them in the chocolate. More coconut ended up in the chocolate dip than on the macaroon. I was seriously bummed because not only had I lost more than half of them, but because the flavor is really quite nice, perhaps even better than the non-vegan variety. I was going to toss them because they were literally un-servable, when I thought I would at least try freezing them. Well, it turns out that that’s the trick. You can ( and should ) freeze them. Then you can dip them because they will stay together better. And you can actually eat them straight out of the freezer because they don’t get rock hard. No thawing necessary.
First I have to say a big thank you to you Nora for your awesome recipes! I’ve been a vegan for nearly 20 years. Deserts have always been my weakness in plant based cooking. Your recipes have completely changed that. I’m now excited and inspired to make new deserts and all of your recipes are fantastic! My husband and I love them!
This recipe is another wonderful one! Easy to follow & simple ingredients. I’ve made these cookies 3x now and they’ve all turned out delicious.
I got adventurous this time and switched the almond extract out for a 1/2 tsp of peppermint extract, added some green food coloring, and then dipped in the chocolate. It came out really good and made a fun St. Patrick’s Day desert. Thank you for the inspiration and desert making confidence Nora!
Hi Mary. Your cookies sound delicious and fun! Thanks for sharing this wonderful idea with us all! I appreciate your fabulous and encouraging feedback! Your words mean a lot to me! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Yum, I will try these. I want to find vegan white chocolate, so I can make vegan Matterhorn Macaroons!
Enjoy the macaroons! Happy baking!
Works great. Just a little crumbly, which can be addressed with the chocolate base.
There are multiple sizes of cans of chickpeas and I don’t open chickpea cans just for aquafaba. I drain the can when I use chickpeas for a meal and then I freeze the aquafaba for use later. It would be extremely helpful to know how much aquafaba I need to use to make 4 tbsp of the whipped consistency.
Thanks
You probably need 2 tablespoons of liquid aquafaba to make 4 tablespoons whipped. Hope that helps!
I’m excited to try these for Passover. (Manishevitz brand macaroons are a popular Passover dessert.) Can I use a can of coconut cream instead of coconut milk? Then I would have the whole 3/4 cup of cream instead of 1/2 cup cream, 1/4 liquid as I would with coconut milk. Would that be beneficial or detrimental? Thanks.
That should work just fine, hope you enjoy!
Can I substitute oat flour for the almond flour? (Allergy)
I’ve never tried it so I’m not sure, but it might work.
This recipe makes 30 and I made them yesterday. I had only one left this am! Super easy and fun to make. And very delicious, chewy in the middle and addictive. Thank you! This recipe is a keeper!
I’m glad the macaroons were a hit! Thank you, Vijna, for sharing your review!
These were really yummy! They sort of fall apart easily after baking and cooling off, but if you refrigerate them there’s no issue. Pretty fool-proof recipe, imo. Thanks~
Glad you loved them Kaitlyn! Thank you!
I wonder if you could add a smashed ripe banana to keep it a little moist?
I’ve never tried it, but they are moist without anything added.
Nora, is it possible to start with unsweetened coconut, and, if so, what other adjustments should I make? Thank you!
I honestly haven’t tried it, but I would probably add a little granulated sugar, maybe 1/2 cup?
 These are absolutely wonderful! My daughter made them for me and I truly like them better than the original macaroonsThis recipe you will forever be in my family !
Thanks so much! I’m so glad you like them!
Wow! What an amazing recipe. So delicious and easy to make. Thank you for another winner!!
I followed thus recipe exactly and they fell apart. I ended up just mixing in the chocolate and cutting them into bars.
Mine did, too. Turns out freezing them helps them stay together. Here’s the interesting thing, they don’t really freeze. You can bite into it right out of the freezer.
Hello Nora, long time follower and recipe lover. What do you do with the extra aquafaba mixture? Would love to make these but don’t want that to go to waste, do you bake those plain as meringues?
Thanks Elizabeth! I have used the extra to bake meringue cookies. Or you can keep some unwhipped aquafaba in the fridge, and only use a little at a time. Hope that helps!
There really is a whole lot of whipped aquafaba left over. Perhaps you can include a link to your meringue recipe at the end. Just a suggestion.